RTPI being wrong!

Posy

Waiting for a bus today at at stop with RTPI.
There was one bus at 3pm and another at 5pm.
Due in..... 8 minutes :rolleyes:
Due in..... 4 minutes
Due in..... 2 minutes
Due in..... 1 minute
Bus Due ..............






:mad:

No bus came. What is the point of a GPS real time info system!!??? :mad:

And the other day, a different stop said '8 minutes' when the bus came. Good thing I didn't run into the shop to get something when waiting!

Has this happened often to other passengers?

LXFlyer

It can happen for several reasons, but in order to explain why, it's helpful to know where you were and what route you were waiting for?

noelfirl

For whatever good it might do...

http://www.transportforireland.ie/send-feedback

AltAccount

lxflyer wrote: »

It can happen for several reasons, but in order to explain why, it's helpful to know where you were and what route you were waiting for?

What difference would it make?

n97 mini

This isn't really a case of the RTPI being wrong, it's a case of DB not running buses they are supposed to be running. This happens to me now and again, where a bus that is supposed to be hourly doesn't show up.

Don't let your annoyance be misguided!

LXFlyer

AltAccount wrote: »

What difference would it make?

If the OP were at the terminus it could have been displaying scheduled times. If for whatever reason the bus was cancelled, either it broke down or something happened at the last minute then the display would have been displaying the scheduled departure.

If it were beyond the city centre on a cross city route, and the bus was curtailed to the city centre for whatever reason, the on street displays, unlike the DB app appear unable to cope with short workings. The bus then vanishes mysteriously from stops beyond the city after it arrives there.

Posy

No, it was midway through the route, not one that goes anywhere near town.. it showed the bus leaving the terminus (due), and I had checked it a couple of times at home where it had been due in 50 minutes, 30 minutes, 20 minutes etc..
At least if I'd known there would be no bus I could have made alternate arrangements! I thought the Dublin Bus RTPI worked off GPS so I don't get how it can go from a bus being due to vanishing off the radar!

Ah well, I'll try emailing DB to find out where my bus went but I don't know if I'll get anywhere!

AltAccount

lxflyer wrote: »

If the OP were at the terminus it could have been displaying scheduled times. If for whatever reason the bus was cancelled, either it broke down or something happened at the last minute then the display would have been displaying the scheduled departure.

If it were beyond the city centre on a cross city route, and the bus was curtailed to the city centre for whatever reason, the on street displays, unlike the DB app appear unable to cope with short workings. The bus then vanishes mysteriously from stops beyond the city after it arrives there.

But surely it's tracking a physical bus, and if it counts down to 2 or 1 minute left, then it surely hasn't become victim to short running.

What's the point of a system that tracks phantom busses?

ArmaniJeanss

Posy wrote: »

Waiting for a bus today at at stop with RTPI.
There was one bus at 3pm and another at 5pm.
Due in..... 8 minutes :rolleyes:
Due in..... 4 minutes
Due in..... 2 minutes
Due in..... 1 minute
Bus Due ..............






:mad:

No bus came. What is the point of a GPS real time info system!!??? :mad:

And the other day, a different stop said '8 minutes' when the bus came. Good thing I didn't run into the shop to get something when waiting!

Has this happened often to other passengers?

Posy wrote: »

No, it was midway through the route, not one that goes anywhere near town.. it showed the bus leaving the terminus (due), and I had checked it a couple of times at home where it had been due in 50 minutes, 30 minutes, 20 minutes etc..
At least if I'd known there would be no bus I could have made alternate arrangements! I thought the Dublin Bus RTPI worked off GPS so I don't get how it can go from a bus being due to vanishing off the radar!

Ah well, I'll try emailing DB to find out where my bus went but I don't know if I'll get anywhere!

It could be a driver error - if your bus is 50 minutes from the terminus when its midway through the route then it must be one of the more exotic suburban services. Maybe the driver took a wrong road and bypased your stop. The RTPI system can't account for this.

copacetic

I've had this issue where some bus routes going to a stop appear on the system and other routes don't. Made me miss a bus a couple of times as indication there wasn't one coming was of course incorrect. Pretty annoying.

bk

lxflyer wrote: »

If it were beyond the city centre on a cross city route, and the bus was curtailed to the city centre for whatever reason, the on street displays, unlike the DB app appear unable to cope with short workings. The bus then vanishes mysteriously from stops beyond the city after it arrives there.

copacetic wrote: »

I've had this issue where some bus routes going to a stop appear on the system and other routes don't. Made me miss a bus a couple of times as indication there wasn't one coming was of course incorrect. Pretty annoying.

I've suffered instances of both of these and it really makes the RTPI feel less accurate.

I think it exposes the inner workings of DB more then anything else, however they should really be resolved our it might lead people to become unhappy with using RTPI.

Boulevardier

I was waiting yesterday (Sun) for a 145 to Bray from the Leeson St/Appian way stop.

The real time display firstly said there was no 145 for 40 minutes. Then that suddenly changed to 18 minutes. A minute after that, a 145 showed up.

I told the driver that his 145 was not registering on the RTPI, and he said it was nothing to do with him, it is all down to the National Roads Authority.

Is this correct? Do DB not have any responsibility for seeing that their buses are linking to the real-time displays?

KD345

AltAccount wrote: »

But surely it's tracking a physical bus, and if it counts down to 2 or 1 minute left, then it surely hasn't become victim to short running.

What's the point of a system that tracks phantom busses?

For the most cases it is tracking a physical bus, but not always. For example, some buses operate from the depot to the terminus to begin service. In the hour leading up to that bus entering service, the screens will show that the bus is due. This is a scheduled time rather than an actual bus time (because the bus is not in service yet). If that bus should break down or need to be changed in the depot, then this will affect the real time accuracy of the display.

I told the driver that his 145 was not registering on the RTPI, and he said it was nothing to do with him, it is all down to the National Roads Authority.

Is this correct? Do DB not have any responsibility for seeing that their buses are linking to the real-time displays?

The screens are the responsibility of the national transport authority.

copacetic wrote: »

I've had this issue where some bus routes going to a stop appear on the system and other routes don't. Made me miss a bus a couple of times as indication there wasn't one coming was of course incorrect. Pretty annoying.

Did you report this to Dublin Bus or the NTA? There could be a problem with that specific stop.

ixoy

KD345 wrote: »

If that bus should break down or need to be changed in the depot, then this will affect the real time accuracy of the display.

How quickly would the RTPI display be updated? Could it not say "Cancelled"?
If there's a delay can they not put that up too if the delay is over say 10 minutes?

How does the system work anyway - how much is estimates based on the schedule, timings taken from the bus's position and using real time traffic data?

KD345

ixoy wrote: »

How quickly would the RTPI display be updated? Could it not say "Cancelled"?
If there's a delay can they not put that up too if the delay is over say 10 minutes?

How does the system work anyway - how much is estimates based on the schedule, timings taken from the bus's position and using real time traffic data?

The control centre can update the information straight away, but if a bus breaks down then the chances are that the next departure will be dropped. I agree it would be helpful if it could display canceled, as at least passengers cold then make other arrangements. If a bus is delayed, this is displayed on the Dublin Bus RTPI online with a delayed symbol. If a bus is running only part of the route then this can also be displayed online and on the app. You will see this happen regularly on routes like the 46A and 145 where buses sometimes only run to the city centre etc.

The system itself is pretty accurate, but problems arise when there is a driver handover and the bus can be sitting idle for a period of time, or when there is a breakdown or diversion.

Alun

I was waiting for a 145 towards Bray on Nassau St. one Saturday afternoon recently. Two 145's appeared on the display, 10 mins. counted down to 1 min. and then disappeared again. Then nothing on the display for a good 15 minutes (during which time several other buses, including a number of 46A's came by, accurately forecast by the display) and then all of a sudden 2 145's turned up unannounced together. I reckon I was waiting for a good half an hour in total. Not good enough.

Boulevardier

I am gettting the strong impression that there is something particularly wrong with the 145s. I have noticed unusual RTPI behaviour from them before this as well.

dfx-

AltAccount wrote: »

But surely it's tracking a physical bus, and if it counts down to 2 or 1 minute left, then it surely hasn't become victim to short running.

What's the point of a system that tracks phantom busses?

Well if you're waiting on Dorset St for a northbound 13 that has been pulled short to O'Connell St, the RTPI would be tracking a physical bus right up to the time it got to O'Connell St - so the bus is indeed a minute or two away, but it doesn't know it will be pulled out of service at O'Connell St because it is not scheduled to.

It is capable of noticing scheduled short workings like 16Cs etc. which say "16 Parnell Sq" instead. I have noticed near the terminus of the 68 outbound it doesn't recognise the 68 has already departed..several times the 2220 departure reads on Dame St:

"68 Newcastle 1 min"

And the physical bus is already gone up George's St.

bk

dfx- wrote: »

Well if you're waiting on Dorset St for a northbound 13 that has been pulled short to O'Connell St, the RTPI would be tracking a physical bus right up to the time it got to O'Connell St - so the bus is indeed a minute or two away, but it doesn't know it will be pulled out of service at O'Connell St because it is not scheduled to.

But then shouldn't there be some way for the driver or controller to indicate this and have service cancelled displayed on the RTPI screens?

LXFlyer

bk wrote: »

But then shouldn't there be some way for the driver or controller to indicate this and have service cancelled displayed on the RTPI screens?

This is an NTA issue - the Dublin Bus app does recognise this, once the controller amends the route.

LXFlyer

Alun wrote: »

I was waiting for a 145 towards Bray on Nassau St. one Saturday afternoon recently. Two 145's appeared on the display, 10 mins. counted down to 1 min. and then disappeared again. Then nothing on the display for a good 15 minutes (during which time several other buses, including a number of 46A's came by, accurately forecast by the display) and then all of a sudden 2 145's turned up unannounced together. I reckon I was waiting for a good half an hour in total. Not good enough.

Were there any protest marches on? These play havoc with the RTPI.

Alun

lxflyer wrote: »

Were there any protest marches on? These play havoc with the RTPI.

Don't think so.